The sides discussed broader cooperation on aquaculture, including possible supplies of smolt for Russian aquaculture farms, as well as the use of fishery equipment produced on the Faroe Islands

MOSCOW, September 08. /ITAR-TASS/. The Faroe Islands can double exports of fish and fish products to Russia amid a ban on food imports Russia imposed on some western countries in response to their sanctions over Ukraine.

Exports could be increased to 104,400-139,200 tons, said a report by the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency after agency head Ilya Shestakov met with Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Faroe Islands.

The sides discussed broader cooperation on aquaculture, including possible supplies of smolt for Russian aquaculture farms, as well as the use of fishery equipment produced on the Faroe Islands, said an agency report on Monday.

In response to Western sanctions over Ukraine, Russia imposed on August 7 a one-year ban on imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United States and Norway.

The list of the banned products includes cattle meat (fresh, chilled and refrigerated), pork (fresh, chilled and refrigerated), poultry meat and all poultry edible by-products, salted meat, pickled meat, dried meat, smoked meat, fish and shell fish, clams and other water invertebrates, milk and dairy products, vegetables, edible roots and tuber crops, fruits and nuts, sausage and analogous meat products, meat by-products or blood, as well as products made of them, ready-to-eat products including cheeses and cottage-cheese based on vegetable fats.

The Russian government seeks to compensate for lost food imports and avert deficit or a price hike. From August 8, Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor agricultural watchdog has been in talks with China, Turkey, Serbia, Egypt, Mauritius, Ecuador, Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Paraguay, Guatemala, Morocco, Kenya, Argentina and Lebanon on their exports to Russia of meat, milk, fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood.